Elizabeth Banks Negotiating THE HUNGER GAMES

Elizabeth Banks is reportedly in talks to join Gary Ross’ adaptation of The Hunger Games. Per Variety, the actress is negotiating a deal that would see her play the role of Effie Trinket, a “flaky bureaucrat who escorts her district’s young death-match contestants to their fate.” If the deal goes through, Banks will join a cast that already includes Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. Earlier today, Dayo Okeniyi and Amanda Stenberg became official members of Ross’ cast as well.

Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian “Capitol” that forces its districts to offer up teenage boys and girls as participants in a televised fight-to-the-death event known as “The Hunger Games.” Ross’ film is scheduled to hit theaters on March 23rd, 2012. For more, hit the jump to check out the official synopsis.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Hunger Games:

THE HUNGER GAMES will be directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Collins’ best-selling novel, which has over 3 million copies in print in the United States alone, is the first in a trilogy of science fiction/action novels which have developed a global following.

“The Hunger Games” chronicles a dystopic Capitol which requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl, forced to participate in the annual “Hunger Games,” a fight-to-the-death live televised event. Katniss Everdeen’s little sister is chosen in the lottery to participate and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home. The Hunger Games novel has been on the New York Times best seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks. Foreign rights for the book, published by Scholastic have been sold in 41 countries.

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